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Together, We Did It!

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Many lives have been saved and families forever changed thanks in part to the generous support of our donors.

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A dedicated and compassionate caregiver at St. Joseph Hospital for decades, Melvin Schwartz and his wife demonstrated their friendship and support for the Hospital by establishing a legacy through a generous charitable planned gift.”

Together, We Did It!

Minutes Matter Emergency Services Campaign Celebration: A tribute to donors, volunteers and caregivers

On a warm summer evening in late June, Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center donors, clinicians, leaders and caregivers gathered to celebrate. The occasion was the close of the Minutes Matter Emergency Services Campaign, which raised $78 million to build the new Jaromír Střížka Emergency Department and Cusumano Family Health Center.

Emceed by friend of Providence Saint Joseph, actor Mario Lopez, the event highlighted the tremendous vision of more than 3,000 donors and hundreds of volunteers whose collective generosity made fundraising history at Providence Saint Joseph.

Chief philanthropy officer, Tina Johann, expressed a sense of awe and gratitude at the accomplishment in her remarks. “This donor community is extraordinary,” she said. “When you believe in something, you make it happen. Because of your commitment and support, this entire project was completely funded by philanthropy.”

Acknowledged at the event as the engine that powered the Minutes Matter Emergency Services Campaign, committee co-chairs Ed and Murphy Romano devoted themselves to organizing the fundraising efforts. “The Minutes Matter Emergency Services Campaign has been years in the making and required the work of an army of dedicated volunteers,” shared Ed. “We offer our profound thanks to the volunteer committees who raised significant funds to support the project,” Murphy added.

Honoring the namesake donors
Providence Saint Joseph Foundation board member Peter Lynch shared a touching tribute to the legacy of Mr. Jaromír Střížka. “Although Jaromír had no children of his own, in some ways, everyone who visits the emergency room is part of his family,” said Peter. “They will never know the Czech immigrant who came to LA after World War II to seek his fortune, but they will benefit from his legacy and his love for his adopted community.”

Speaking on behalf of his family, which has been inextricably woven into the fabric of the medical center for four generations, Foundation board member Michael Cusumano expressed his gratitude. “When I brought this vision to my family in 2016, they saw what this could be and were quick to embrace the significance of this mission,” he said. “They had faith in this Foundation and this ministry to provide for the health care needs of this community.”

Recognizing our caregivers
Foundation board member Marcía Haynes acknowledged the courageous individuals who diligently worked through the pandemic. As a group of Providence Saint Joseph caregivers took to the stage, Marcía shared, “Through it all, on the darkest days when the emergency department was full, and the hospital was overcrowded with very sick patients, they showed up and did their jobs with love and care.”

Tina expressed a final message of gratitude, “A big thank you to everyone who’s been a part of making this campaign such a smashing success. We’ve all been a part of the magic that happens when people work together to do something extraordinary.”

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Call: 818-847-4673
Address: 501 S Buena Vista St, Burbank, CA 91505
Email: psjfoundation@providence.org

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